Carrabelle city seat up for grabs

Sebrina Brown is the first to burst out of the starting gate this week in the race to fill an open seat on the Carrabelle city commission.

Whether she’s the thoroughbred to succeed Keith Walden, who stepped down last year due to state retirement rules pertaining to his completion of a career with the Florida Department of Corrections, or whether she’ll be tailed by other challengers, won’t be known until Friday before noon. That's the last day a candidate can come in, fill out all the oaths and affidavits, and pay the filing fee of $85.56, $45 of which goes to the state.

City Clerk Keisha Messer said she’s handed out packets to a number of interested citizens, but none had filed to qualify as of Tuesday. Those interested parties included former county commissioner William Massey, former Carrabelle Police Chief Joe Ham, Linda Burns and Kenneth Griswold.

Following the noon close of qualifying week on Friday, the city commission will meet to approve an interim replacement for Walden. The individual will not be chosen from among any candidates who plan to run in the special election, as stipulated by the commission last month.

The appointed commissioner will serve until the second week of March, when the election's victor will be sworn in, a term of office that could contend for the title of "The Lamest of the Lame Ducks Ever."

As far as filing early in the week, there’s a clear explanation for why Brown did that. She’s not hesitant or half-hearted; she is in it to win it. A quick telephone interview provided a demonstration of that.

Liking the experience of serving on the Community Redevelopment Authority, to which she was appointed, Brown said her connection to the county goes back eight or nine generations, about as far back on both sides as settlers go.

On her dad’s side it’s the Browns, from Brickyard Landing, 19th-century founders of turning Eastpoint from a transit point to a permanent community. On her mom’s side she's among the Thompsons, in Apalachicola.

Brown attended Carrabelle High School, and graduated from Apalachicola High School in 1998.

She lives in downtown Carrabelle, in the old pharmacy building, and owns Pirate Girl’s Treasures, a cottage industry in which she makes furniture out of deadhead cypress.

If you want to vote in the March 2 city election, you have until Feb. 1 to be a registered voter.

The election will be held at Carrabelle City Hall located at 1206 Hwy 98 E. There will be no early voting, but you may request a Vote by Mail ballot by contacting the Supervisor of Elections Office at 653-9520.

The City of Carrabelle Canvassing Board will convene at supervisor of elections office in Apalachicola at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26. The board is convening for the pre-election testing of tabulating equipment to be used in the March 2 election.

This article originally appeared on The Apalachicola Times: Carrabelle city seat up for grabs